Yellow Jackets Return Home To Face Virginia

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are stepping into uncharted territory as they return to Alexander Memorial Coliseum riding an 11 game winning streak and sport a 2-0 record in ACC play. The 11 game streak is the longest single-season winning streak in school history and Tech has won its first two ACC games for the first time since 1992-93. Only once before have the Yellow Jackets improved to 3-0, also being the `92-93 season.

Virginia enters the contest with a 10-7 record overall and an 0-2 mark in ACC action after falling 61-51 at Florida State Jan. 9. Against the Seminoles, the Cavaliers struggled from the field, shooting only 32.8 percent. Junior guard Ariana Moorer came off the bench to finish with 12 points and five assists. Freshman Ataira Franklin 11 points, four rebounds and two steals for the Cavaliers.

Tech comes into the game with UVa after earning a 64-53 road win at Clemson Jan. 9. Junior center Sasha Goodlett scored 11 of the Jackets’ first 22 points and went on to finish with a team-best 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Alex Montgomery (13), Metra Walthour (10) and Tyaunna Marshall (10) also tallied double digits for the Jackets. Tech forced 21 Lady Tiger turnovers and turned them into 21 points on the offensive end.

LAST TIME OUT VS. VIRGINIA – 1/24/10 CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Brigitte Ardossi led four Yellow Jackets in double-figures but the 22nd-ranked Georgia Tech women’s basketball team fell, 57-55, to No. 25/22 Virginia at the John Paul Jones Arena.

The Yellow Jackets sprinted out of the gate, opening a 13-point lead over the Cavaliers with 9:05 remaining in the first. Virginia, who was without All-American guard Monica Wright most of the half due to foul trouble, stormed all the way back to take a 21-20 lead with 4:45 remaining. Tech would regain its lead and enter the locker room up 26-25.

The Cavs opened the second half on a 10-4 run over the first three minutes to take a 35-30 lead on the Jackets. Tech would fall behind by as much as 13 but fought all the way back to within three points with seven seconds remaining. Freshman Sharena Taylor drove down court but was fouled by Whitny Edwards to go to the line for one-and-one. She connected on the first but the rebound of her ensuing intentional miss wound up out-of-bounds ending the game.

Wright led Virginia with a game-high 23 points and grabbed five boards. Lexie Gerson added 10 points for the Cavaliers.

LOOKING BACK Last season at this point, Tech was 14-3, 1-1 ACC after beating Clemson, 72-58, in Atlanta on Jan. 11.

GOIN’ STREAKIN Tech posted its 11th straight win with the victory over Clemson on Jan. 9. It is the longest single-season winning streak in school history. The longest consecutive streak is 13 games which includes the last three games of the 1976-77 season and the first 10 games of the 1977-78 season.

Tech opened ACC play 2-0 for only the second time, with the other being the 1992-93 season. That squad beat NC State, 86-79, in Raleigh on Jan. 8 to improve to 3-0, but would lose at Wake Forest, 85-70, Jan. 10.

Since the return of senior Deja Foster, Tech is 11-1. Foster, made her season debut against Tennessee after recovering from a knee injury in the offseason, but did not play against Tennessee State.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Head Coach MaChelle Joseph will be celebrating her birthday on Thursday when the Cavaliers come to town.

HEY, ROOK Freshman Ty Marshall has earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors five times this season. She was named co-rookie after week one, and named top rookie after weeks two, four, eight and nine.

Marshall’s five weekly accolades are the second most Rookie of the Week honors earned by a Yellow Jacket in her first season on The Flats. Niesha Butler won the award seven times in her rookie year of 1998-99 on her way to winning the 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year. The record for most ACC Rookie of the Week honors is held by Wake Forest’s Tracy Connor, who earned the award nine times in 1992-93.

NATIONALLY RANKED The Jackets are ranked in the top 30 of several national statistical categories. Their highest mark is 11th in scoring defense, 52.3. Tech is 19th in rebound margin (+9.1), 25th in steals per game (12.1), 28th in field goal percentage (44.5) and 29th in scoring margin (15.1)